If you’ve never tried Doors Open Ottawa, this weekend (June 6 and 7) would be a perfect opportunity. Not only is the weather today going to be ideal (and tomorrow’s forecast looks pretty good as well), but there are also a lot of fun new additions to this year’s roster.
So what is Doors Open, you ask? It’s a province-wide, free architectural event. It runs on different weekends in different cities, so if you can’t make it to Ottawa’s, you might be able to catch one in another community later this year.
Earnscliffe, once home to former prime minister Sir John A. Macdonald and now the residence of Britain’s High Commissioner to Canada, is one of the new additions to Doors Open Ottawa this year. Photo courtesy of the Ontario Heritage Trust.
All sorts of interesting buildings, some not normally open to the public, welcome visitors during Doors Open. Some offer free tours, concerts or other special events—for instance, a good friend of mine is singing this morning at 11:30am at the First Church of Christ, Scientist at the corner of Metcalfe and Gilmour streets. She’s part of an a capella group called Four Yorkshiremen that actually comprises two men and three women—none of whom, I believe, is from Yorkshire.
More than 130 buildings across the region, from Cumberland to Carp, are taking part in Doors Open. You can learn about everything from the city’s traffic control systems (at the Traffic Operations building on Loretta Avenue) to the science of hydroponic gardening (at SunTech Greenhouses in Manotick). There are artists’ studios and historic homes, mosques and temples, fire stations and museums, and a whole bunch of embassies, among many other sites.
Traffic and parking around some of the more popular sites might be an issue, so you might want to consider walking or taking the bus (the Ottawa Citizen is offering a free shuttle bus that brings you within a kilometre—often less—of almost 50 participating buildings in the central core).
Several cycling companies are also offering Doors Open tours. I just took a different trip this week with Escape Bicycle Tours and had a great time. Company owner Maria Rasouli is offering a free (there’s that magic word again) Doors Open tour of 12 sites on Sunday; if you’re interested in joining it, contact her ASAP by email or phone.
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